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Syrian survey 1947

These photographs and newspaper cuttings came from Kieran (Ken) Roche via his brother Gerry Roche. Kieran was the Flight engineer on what was described as the first ‘Fairey Surveys’ flight out of White Waltham in 1947.

Air Survey aircraft (AIRSPEED OXFORD). First ‘Fairey Surveys’ flight out of White Waltham, 1947. Left to right: Brian Attwell (management), Richard Younghusband (pilot), Ken Roche (engineer), Group Captain Lawes (management). Richard Younghusband, has a claim to fame from even earlier. He was apparently flying back from France the day war broke out, and triggered off the first English World War 2 air raid alarm.

Hotel Baron, Aleppo, Syria.
This was our hotel and x marks the spot where we usually sit at night nattering. This was taken during the siesta period, hence the deserted appearance of the street, shops closed etc. Only a few Bedouin at large.

Newpaper cutting from the Daily Telegraph in 1968, about the building of the Aleppo dam on the Euphrates river.

The Hotel Baron in Aleppo had a long history and many interesting guests on the register. The last sentence of this press cutting is quite poignant. A couple of website links give information on the current state of the Hotel Baron and the Mazloumian family:

More news of the Hotel Baron from the Times on 14th May 2016. Mr Mazloumian died recently, and the hotel has taken a couple of mortar hits, but it is still standing and occupied by Mr Mazloumain’s widow and three refugee families.